「沒有絲毫干擾」－－莫札特的鋼琴是否有膝槓桿踏板？

＂Not the slightest reverberation＂— Did Mozart's fortepiano lack knee levers?

從現存莫札特與他人的往來書信，清楚可見，莫札特非常喜愛他的沃爾特古鋼琴。沃爾特古鋼琴是他在維也納期間唯一擁有過的，也是他在巡迴演出時經常使用的鋼琴。沃爾特古鋼琴現今仍存在於薩爾茲堡。為了準確地瞭解莫札特的音樂和他演奏的表現方式，薩爾茲堡的音樂學者和鋼琴家，對於沃爾特古鋼琴進行了詳細的研究與分析。其中，音樂學家萊徹姆（Michael Latcham）於1997 年的《早期音樂》（Early Music）期刊，發表了關於沃爾特古鋼琴的研究和觀察。其中最重要的論點，即「膝槓桿踏板」。膝槓桿踏板設置於鋼琴的鍵盤下方，以膝蓋接觸來控制制音器的運作。萊徹姆推測，膝槓桿踏板很可能是在莫札特去世之後，才被添加到沃爾特古鋼琴上。若莫札特在他最後九年的生命中，是用沒有膝槓桿踏板的沃爾特古鋼琴來演出和作曲，那當代的鋼琴家對於莫札特音樂的認知與理解，可能會有劇烈的改變。許多西洋音樂史上的重要作品，亦可能會以新的觀點被認知。萊徹姆的論點遭到了嚴肅的批評和質疑。同時，即使許多專家與學者都認知到確切的證據尚未被發現與證實，仍提出了各自的論點及其背後的依據。本文將從歷史和音樂的觀點，來討論各論證的內容，並嘗試探討一些可能被忽視的考慮，以嘗試證明，莫札特生前所用的沃爾特古鋼琴，很可能沒有膝槓桿踏板。

From surviving correspondence, it is clear that Mozart loved his Walter fortepiano, the only instrument he owned during his adult life in Vienna and his instrument of choice for his performances throughout the city. The instrument still exists in Salzburg, where musicologists and fortepiano specialists have examined the instrument in detail to more accurately understand Mozart, his music, and his manner of performance. One such musicologist, Michael Latcham, documented his observations about the instrument in a 1997 Early Music article. Most significant among his comments is the contention that the knee levers, which control the damper-raising mechanism, might have been added to the instrument after Mozart had died. If Mozart composed and performed for the last nine years of his life on an instrument without knee levers, the modern pianist's understanding of Mozart's music would be altered drastically and some of the most important compositions in the history of Western music would have to be seen in a new light. Latcham's assertion was met with serious criticism and questioning. Several scholars have submitted their own arguments and evaluations of the evidence at hand, though each contributor recognizes that definitive proof has yet to be discovered. This presentation addresses both the historical and musical arguments from the two sides of the debate along with some previously overlooked considerations in an attempt to determine the likelihood that Mozart's instrument lacked knee levers during his lifetime.